A TMNT Christmas Carol
by Redwaters
Summary: It's the Christmas Carol with Raphael in the spotlight of Ebenezer Scrooge. Read as you find out what events caused him to have a distaste for the holidays and how he's going to learn to love them again. Complete
1. The Warning

**Disclaimer:**A Christmas Carol is a Charles Dicken's story. And speaking of Christmas, do you think they would give me TMNT for a little while as a gift? No? Aw...(:(

_A/N: For the record, I'd just like to say that I'm touch (mostly in the head) but the Christmas spirit and am __totally__ addicted to 'A Christmas Carol' with Patrick Stewart. (Is there some kind of A.A. for that?) Anyway, this interpretation had been nipping me for a while, wanting to get out. Hope you like it.

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**The Warning**

Raphael, dressed in his human street clothes, sat shivering on a park bench that was covered in snow. "Christmas is nothin' more den a humbug." He commented stiffly.

Michelangelo, dressed in his own human street clothes, came waddling over to where his brother sat. His arms were weighted down with bags full of gifts he had bought. "A humbug?" He questioned. "How could you say such a thing?"

"Because it is." Raphael snapped. "All this rustlin' and bustlin' about, just ta buy gifts fer people."

"That's the beauty of Christmas." Michelangelo stated while he dropped what he carried. He sat down next to his brother with a tried groan.

"Will ya just listen ta yerself?" Raphael asked. "Ya spent all day on yer feet, tirin' yerself out, and fer what?"

"To see the happy faces of all the people who will open my gifts." Michelangelo answered happily. "What more could a person ask for?"

"Bah." Raphael waved a hand at his youngest brother.

"That's no way to keep a Christmas spirit." Michelangelo told his older brother sternly.

"Well, ya keep Christmas yer way and I'll keep it mine." Raphael replied coldly.

"But that's the point Raphie, you don't keep Christmas anymore." Michelangelo said with concern. "For as long as I've know, you've developed some kind of attitude about it."

"Den just leave me alone." Raphael snapped. "As far as I'm concern, a law should be passed dat anyone who walks around with a 'Merry Christmas' upon der lips should be drowned in their own chocolate puddin' and buried with stake of holy in der hearts."

"Whoa." Michelangelo gasped. "That's, like, Ebenezer Scrooge harsh man."

"Look, I don't see how it's worth wadin' through all dese humans." Raphael retorted. "All dese rude humans dat push and shove. Dey pay no mind as ta where dey're goin'. Dey just do whatever dey want in order ta get some piece of junk dat's on sale fer someone on der list, no matter whether dat would person would like or not."

"Alright, so Christmas shopping doesn't bring out the best in people." Michelangelo admitted. "So Christmas brings no money or profit, but that's not what it's all about." The young turtle's eyes grew ridiculously wide. "It is a kind and giving time. A time for men and women alike to think of others before themselves. It is also a time to think of 'He' who's birth is the reason for such a holy day." Mike turned to look at his brother with a giant grin on his face. "To summarize, Christmas had done me good in the past and will do me good in the future. And so I say to you my brother, a very Merry Christmas!"

"Hear, hear Mikey." Leonardo said as he came over to the park bench. He too was dressed up in his street clothes. "That was very well rehearsed." There were many thin handles in his hands connecting to the many bags he had stuff full of gifts.

"Why thank you Leo." Michelangelo said as he got off the bench. He put a hand in front of him and a hand in back of him, to give a low bow.

"Yuck." Raphael put a finger in his mouth and made a gagging sound. "He sounds like a Christmas special."

Donatello commented from behind them all. "I think that was the point Raphie." Dressed in his human clothes, the young turtle was hunch forward due to the weight from his bag being full of gifts he had just bought.

"Ya all make me sick." Raphael snorted as he got up from the bench. He shoved his hands into his pockets and started to walk away.

"Where are you going Raph?" Donatello asked.

"Home." Raphael replied coldly.

"But you promised April that you would help decorate her place for the party tomorrow." Leonardo reminded.

Raphael whipped around to give Leo a glare. "I didn't volunteer for nothin'." The young turtle snapped. "Ya volunteered fer me."

"Ah come on Raphie." Michelangelo semi whined. "Tomorrow is Christmas. Dontchya wanna party?"

"No." Raphael answered in a mocked, high-pitched voice. "And stop callin' me Raphie. I hate dat name."

"Since when?" Michelangelo asked.

"Ever." Raphael growled. "Now I'm outta here." The young turtle turned his back to his brothers and walked away.

"Man, is Raph ever going to lighten up?" Michelangelo asked.

"He'll get over what is bother him." Donatello said in his usual 'know-it-all' voice. "We all know he gets this way at this time of year. We just have to wait it out."

"Yeah, but this attitude of his is really started to get bothersome." Leonardo commented. "I wish that he could get in the Christmas spirit before the day is almost done."

"Then Raph wouldn't be Raph, would he?" Donatello asked.

"I suppose not." Leonardo replied. "Come on turtles, we have an apartment to decorate."

Meanwhile…

As Raphael walked down the streets, he snorted out small puffs of steam. After a bit, he hears the pitter-patter of little feet behind him. For a while he tries to ignore the young footstep that were following until he could take it no more. He stopped walking and turns around to find himself looking down at a handful of children.

The children look up at him with bright eyes, all of different hues. In their little hands were paper booklets filled with Christmas carols. One boy blows a note on his harmonic and the children hum in tune with the sound. When that was over, the children started to sing 'Come All Ye Faithful'.

Unamused with what was going on before him, Raphael turns his back on the children to walk away. Before he had a chance to get very far, he feels the back of his pant leg being tug. Heaving a deep sigh, the young turtle turns around to see a very girl with golden blonde pigtails looking up at him with deep blue eyes.

"We sang you a song." The little girl said while holding out a hand. "Aren't chya gonna give us something for it? We're collecting money and toys and food for people less fortunate then us."

"Is dat so." Raphael said in mockingly sweet voice. "Den will dis do?" He reached deep into his pocket, then let out a angry roar at all the children. Frightened, they children fell head over heels in their attempts to run away. Raph laughed as he watched the children, until he felt angry eyes fall upon him. "What are ya all lookin' at?" The young turtle growled. Not wishing to tangle with him, all looking turned to continue about their business.

Feeling quite stratified with himself, Raphael continued down the street. A couple blocks later he was stopped by a couple of men dressed in old fashion clothes. One man wore a tall black hat, a black overcoat, black pants, and black dress shoes. The other man was wearing a brown bolder, dark gray dress jacket with tails, light gray pants, and dark brown boots. The man in the tall hat held a moneybox in his hands. The man in the bolder hat held a book and pencil.

"What do ya want?" Raphael asked the two men coldly.

"Hello." The man in the tall hat said, with an English accent. "We're the Charity booth for the Dickens Fair and we're collecting donations for the poor." He held up the moneybox he carried; there was a slot cut for money to go into.

"So tell me, m'lord, how much can we put you don't for?" The man in the bolder hat asked in a cockney accent. Then he dabbed the end of his pencil on the tip of his tongue before putting on to the pad of paper.

"Nuthin'." Raphael replied rudely.

"Ah, I see." The man in the bolder hat said with a nod. "M'lord wishes to remain anonymous. Such a modest gentleman he is."

"That he is." The man in the tall hat agreed. "So tell me, m'lord, how much can we put you down for?"

"I told ya, nuthin'." Raphael answered with a snarl in his voice. "And stop callin' me, 'm'lord'. Ya sound ridiculous."

"We're just trying to keep in character." The man in the tall hat said in a cool tone. "But seriously, you do not wish to give to the poor?" He asked in a bewildered tone.

"Dat's right." Raphael replied. "I'm barely gonna spend money on people I do like, why should I waste any on people I don't?"

"But sir, how can you turn up your nose at the poor in this time of year?" The man in the bolder hat asked. "Christmas is the time of giving."

"Are der no prisons?" Raphael asked.

"I suppose that there are plenty of prisons." The man in the tall hat answered.

"Are der not shelters?" Raphael questioned.

Shock at the question, the man in the bolder hat straightened up. "There are, but…"

"Good." Raphael said with a snort. "Den da poor is taken care of."

"What a way to live!" The man in the tall hat exclaimed. "The poor would rather die than to resort to thievery and shelters."

"Den let dem die." Raphael snapped. "Da quicker, da better to decrease da surplus of da population."

Both men were shocked with what Raph had just said. "Sir, you can't be serious." The man in the bolder hat replied angrily.

"Well at da moment, I am." Raphael stated angrily, while pushing passed the two men. As he walked away, he could hear the two men talk about him.

"What a jerk." One said.

"Well, you have to expect an Ebenezer Scrooge every once and while." The other man replied. "It comes with the territory."

Ignoring what the two men said, Raphael continued to make his way home. Eventually the young turtle makes it to the corner of Eastman and Laird, the place where the garage that was over their home was. He entered the garage, rides the elevator down to the sewers, and walks into the lair.

Master Splinter was just coming out of his room as Raph was just entering. "I'm surprise to see you home at this time, my son." The elder rat said with surprise. "I thought you'd be up at Ms. O'Neil's place, decorating for the party."

"I didn't feel like decoratin' tanite." Raphael replied while he took off his stuff.

"I see." Master Splinter said with a nod of his head. "Tell me, my son, what bothers you at this time of year?"

"It's nuthin' sensei." Raphael answered. "I guess ya can say dat I'm in dat minority area dat finds dis time of year depressin'."

"Perhaps." Master Splinter walked over to a red wagon that had a cardboard box labeled 'Decorations'. "Well, I promised you brother and Ms. O'Neil that I would bring these by. Maybe you would like to walk with me?"

"Nah." Raphael waved a hand. "I just wanna sit around here and ferget about what's goin' on out der."

"As you wish my son." Master Splinter said with a deep sigh. "But I do wish you would get into the spirit of things."

"I'll think about it." Raphael replied while heading for the kitchen.

"Alright then." Master Splinter gave another sigh while putting on a tan trench coat and fedora. "But if you change your mind, you'll know where we all are." Just before he headed out with the red wagon, he stopped. "I do hope you'll at least consider coming to the party tomorrow." With that, the elder rat went into the elevator with the wagon.

Moments after his master had left, Raphael came out of the kitchen with his arms full of snack food and soda. The young turtle walked over to the T.V. area and plopped down onto the couch. While flipping through stations on the main screen, Raph smelt the dips he was going to use for his chips. He was trying to figure out if it was still good enough to eat, because he didn't know how long it had been in the fridge. Eventually he determined that it was ok to eat, but was quite miffed at the fact that he couldn't find anything to watch. All 200 stations show some sort of Christmas special, to which Raph was on in no mood to see. So while eating his snacks with the expired dip, the young turtle went onto play 'Splinter Cell' on X-box live.

Sadly, that only kept him occupied for a couple hours. Many of the people he was playing with wanted to quit early so they could go to bed and get up for parties they were invited to. Feeling that it was not fun to play by himself, Raphael decided he would go back to trying to watch T.V again. When the young turtle bent over to turn off the X-box, a face tried to push its way through the green x-cross top.

Freaked, Raphael fell onto his rear. "What da shell!" Slowly, carefully, he crawled back towards the X-box and looked at the top of it again. "Dat's strange." The young turtle muttered to himself, because now the top of the X-box looked how is was suppose to.

Thinking that he was tired, Raphael decided that he was going to call it a night and go to bed. Maybe, if he were lucky, he could sleep through Christmas.

Not bothering to clean up his mess, the young turtle made his way to the stairs so he could climb up them and go into his room. When he got to the stairs, horse hooves hitting cements were heard coming at him. Raphael looked up to see a black carriage being pulled by a team of black horses. In the driver's seat was a man in a black trench coat, with black tall hat, black gloves on his hands, and a dark gray scarf wrapped around the lower part of his face.

The sight of the carriage coming at him frightened Raphael. He couldn't think of what else to do, but plaster himself up against the wall in an attempt to avoid being hit. Just as the noses of the black horses passed the last step, the whole thing became transparent and goes right through the young turtle.

"What…what is goin' on?" Raphael questioned when he saw the carriage, driver, and horses disappear into thin air. The young turtle gave his head a shake. "Must be indigestion." He put the side of his fist to his chest and let out a disgusting belch before going up the stairs.

When Raphael got to his room, he removed all his stuff and hung up his Sais. Then he sat down on his hammock bed and let out a loud yawn. He was about to lie down, when he heard the sound of chains rattling and dragging echo throughout the lair.

At first, the young turtle didn't want to know what was making that noise. After a few seconds he couldn't help letting his curiosity get the best of him. So cautiously, Raphael stuck his head out of his room. But the noise stopped as soon as he left the room. Still the young turtle looked around just in case. Shaking his head, the young turtle turned around to go back into his room.

That's when he came face to face with some guy. "Who are you?" Raphael ordered.

"Ask me who I was." The guy replied.

"Ok…who were ya?" Raphael asked.

"In life I was yer friend." The guy replied with a groan. "My name was Casey Jones."

"Casey?" Raphael question.

"Uh…yeah." Casey replied.

"What gives man?" Raphael asked angrily. "What da shell ya doin' walkin' around draggin' and rattlin' chains?"

"Dude, I'm dead." Casey told his turtle friend. "Dead as a doornail."

"What?" Raphael answered flatly. "Ya lost me."

Casey gave Raph smack upside the head. "Look at me." The young man was transparent, wrapped in chains, and a white handkerchief was tied around his head. Locking the chains together were hockey sticks, golf clubs, and baseball bats. Weighting on the ends were golf bags.

"Impossible." Raphael said in disbelief. "I refuse to believe dat yer dead."

"Den explain how I stand before ya, genius." Casey retorted.

"A few stale chips, some bad dip." Raphael answered.

"**A few stale chips!**" Casey bellowed. "**Some bad dip?**" He untied the handkerchief that was round his head. "Does this look like bad dip ta ya?" The young man asked rhetorically as his mouth dropped with the moan he let out.

The force of the moan made Raphael fall back and almost off the second story of the lair. Luckily the young turtle was able to stop himself from falling. "So what happen?" He asked the ghost. "How did ya die?"

"Dats not important." Casey replied. "What's important is what I came ta do fer ya."

"What do you mean?"

"It is required of every man dat da spirit within him walks abroad his fellow man, ta travel far and wide. If dat spirit does not go forth in life, he is condemned ta do it in death. I am here to save ya from a fate dat is worse den death itself." Casey held his chain out for Raph to see. "I am doomed ta wander through the world and witness what I cannot share…might have shared on Earth and turned it into happiness."

"O…k." Raphael said with a raised an eyebrow. "But why come to me?"

"Dude, didn't ya just hear what I said?" Casey held up his chains. "Ya see these things I wear? Dis isda chain I forged in life." He explained. "I made it link by link and yard by yard. It _is _a bulky chain." He rattled them for his friend to hear. "But do ya know of da chain ya labored on and now bear? It is twice as long, weightin' twice as much."

Raphael looked around himself to see no chain. "Personally, I always thought you were off ya rocker when ya were alive. Now I think yer even further in death." Raphael told his former living friend. "Tell me, Case, why don't ya speak comfort ta me?"

"I can't stay. I can't rest. Dude, I can't even loiter anywhere." Casey told his friend. "Oh, never to be able to make amends for missed opportunities. The torture of remorse."

"But dude, ya did so much fer da city." Raphael pointed out. "Don't dat count fer something. After all, ya made it yer business ta help people out."

"_Mankind was my business._' Casey groaned. "_The common good was my business._" The way the young man was going, Raph was think he was being overly dramatic. "Instead of tryin' to destroy the lives of my enemies, I should have embraced them. Instead of turnin' my back on the welfare of others, I should have helped them. Now…" Casey looked at his friend with a halfhearted smile. "Now I have been given a chance ta save you from the same fate I suffer from. In order ta save you from dis fate, I must get ya ta understand da meanin' of Christmas. I must get ya ta embrace it in your soul and in your heart."

"Dude, no offense, but you're startin' ta sound as sappy as Mikey." Raphael commented.

"Overda course of three days, three spirits will visit you." Casey said with a stern look on his face.

"Can't ya just have dem come all at once and get things over with?" Raphael asked.

"Expect da first spirit at da stroke of one tamorrow." Casey explained. "Da next one will come da next night, Christmas Day, at the same time. And da third one will be the day after, also at da same time. Listen ta what dey say and learn what dey teach ya, or ya'll share da same fate as me."

"Dis sound nice and all, but I think I'll pass." Raphael said as he went to walk around his friend.

"Dude, ya don't seem ta understand." Casey growled. "We spirits are stuck in a world where we wanna do sumpthin' fer people, but can't. Dis is, like, one chance in a lifetime. I suggest ya take it before ya end up becomin' sumpthin' ya regret."

"It all sounds stupid." Raphael retorted. "And if ya think dat I'm gonna waste my time…"

"Just do it!" Casey bellowed.

The force of the scream once again almost pushed the young turtles off second floor. "Alright, alright. I'll do it."

"Good." Casey said with a nod. "Looked ta see no more, because I can't come around and remember what has passed between us." The dead man walked off the edge of the second story and floated to the main entrance of the lair. "Learn ta keep Christmas in yer heart." Then he disappeared through the door.

"Ok…dat was definitely weird." Raphael commented. "I can't believe dat Casey is dead." He went back into his room and snatched up his Shell-Cell. First he tried dialing up Casey's cell, but he got no answer. "Hmmmm…" Next he dialed up his elder brother.

"Hello." Leonardo answered quietly.

"Dude, Leo, yer are not gonna believe dis." Raphael spoke anxiously. "But I was just visited by Casey and he was all decked out like a ghost and stuff. Den he tells me dat I should be on da look out fer three spirits ta come visit me and teach me about keepin' Christmas and stuff."

"Raph! That is not funny." Leonardo snapped.

"What are ya saying?" Raphael asked.

"You know as well as I do that Casey is dead." Leonardo told his brother.

"What?" Raphael was confused.

"He died this day a year ago." Leonardo answered.

"No." Raphael breathed. "No, ya just pullin' my leg. Payin' me back fer bein' all grouch about Christmas. Der is no way dat Case is dead."

"Well he is." Leonardo stated sternly. "And you know very well that I wouldn't joke about something like that."

"Ok…but dat still don't explain why he suddenly came up in da lair, pullin' a Christmas Carol on me."

"Well…if he really did appear before like you say, then maybe you should listen." Leonardo told him. "But I think you're just tired."

"Yeah. Maybe…maybe yer right." Raphael replied. "I mean, how else would I ferget dat my best human friend is dead." He hung up the cell and climbed into his hammock bed.

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_A/N: Oh my, Casey's dead. I bet you're asking how or why he died. Well, you're just going to have to wait and see. _:b


	2. Christmas Past

**Christmas Past**

Raphael didn't know what time he went to sleep, so he didn't know how long he spent trying to go to sleep. All he knew was that a loud bong sound woke him up when he finally did fall asleep.

Angry at the noise, Raphael stormed out of his room to seek that which woke him. But the problem was he didn't know of anything in the lair that made a loud bonging sound. Still, he looked around the place anyway and came across a tall grandfather clock down on the first floor.

"Don't remember dat bein' der before." Raphael said to himself with a confuse look on his face.

"Do you always make it a habit of talking to yourself?" A voice from behind him asked.

Raphael did a startled jump-spin. "What da shell!" When he landed, a bright light pierced his eyes. "Who are you?" He asked while shielding his eyes. "Are ya da spirit who's comin' was fertold?"

"I am the spirit of Christmas Past." The voice said wisely.

"Long past?"

"Your past."

"Mine?" After asking the question, Raphael let out a grunt of frustration. "Spirit, put yer cap on." He ordered. "Be covered."

"What? Do you so soon put out the light that I give?" The spirit questioned with mild surprise. "Isn't bad enough that you are one of those people who fashioned it and forced me to wear it upon my brow?"

"Well excuse me fer offendin' ya man." Raphael retorted. "But I can't see ya with yer light on so bright."

"Alright, if it will make you happy." Christmas Past let out a sigh, causing the light to dim.

Now that the light wasn't so blinding, the young turtle was able to put his hand down and now saw that the spirit talking to him was one of his brothers. "Donnie?"

"Not quite." Actually, the sprite looked like Donatello wearing a white choir robe and had a candlesnuffer hanging from his side. "Like I said before, I'm the spirit of Christmas Past. I just take the form, shape, or size of what is most comforting to you."

"Ok…sure." Raphael gave a deep sigh. "So tell me what yer business with me is?"

"Your welfare." Christmas Past replied.

"Ya know what is good fer my welfare?" Raphael asked rhetorically. "A peaceful night of unbroken sleep." He pushed past the Donatello looking spirit, heading for his room.

"Now wait just a minute there bro." Christmas Past grabbed the young turtle by the edge of the shell and held on tight. "I've got a lot to show you and we don't have much time."

With practically no effort at all, the spirit steered his charge towards the alien elevator.

"Where are we going?" Raphael asked. Surprising to himself, he found that he had no urge to put up much resistance with the Don looking spirit.

"We're going into your past." Christmas Past told the young turtle while they rode the elevator up.

The doors of the elevator open up to reveal a grade school yard covered in newly fallen snow. "Whoa." Raphael gasped. "Yer good."

"Thank, I try." Christmas Past replied in a flattered tone.

"So what are we doin' here?" Raphael asked.

"Dunno, it's your past." Christmas Spirit answered while taking a step out. "Look around and see if you can remember anything."

"But won't I…we catch cold?" Raphael questioned. "I mean, all yer wearin' is dat thin robe and I've got nothin'."

"Relax." Christmas Past said confidently while walking out onto the glittery white snow. "I'm a spirit, so I don't get cold. And if you touch my robe, you will not feel cold either."

Skeptically Raphael griped a handful of the white robe the Don-like spirit wore. The cloth felt soft and a warm feeling pulsed throughout his whole body. No longer worried about the cold, the young turtle stepped out of the elevator to look about the yard.

At first nothing seemed familiar, except for a childlike mutant turtle dress in street clothes standing at the chain link fence.

"That's you, right?" Christmas Past questioned.

"Yeah." Raphael replied.

"What are you doing over there?"

"Waitin' fer a friend."

"But school seems to be out. Wouldn't they be gone by now?"

"Nah, dis guy always got inta trouble and would get detention all da time."

The main big doors to the school opened up to reveal a young boy with bowl cut black hair and dress in gothic clothes.

"Isn't he a little young to be gothic?" Christmas Past asked.

"His parents are people who worry about crampin' der kid's expressiveness." Raphael explained.

"I see." Christmas Past said with a slight nod of his head.

"Hey Raphie!" The young boy said as he jogged over to the young turtle in street clothes.

"Hey Johnny!" The young turtle greeted back.

"Snuck away from your old man again, huh." Johnny gave his turtle friend a sly look and a nudge in the arm with his elbow.

"Yeah." Young Raph gave a chuckle while putting a hand behind his head. "My brothers are helpin' me out on dis one." The child turtle reached into his jacket pocket. "I had ta come meet ya, cause I got ya sumpthin'." He brought out a small box wrapped in brown packaging paper. "Merry Christmas."

"Ya mean, 'Happy Holidays'." Johnny corrected, before rolling his eyes. "Can you believe I got detention for not being politically correct?"

"I could, but I also know ya." Young Raph answered. "What else did ya do?"

"This kid kept sing 'All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth' and he was really getting on my nerves." Johnny answered. "So I helped him mean it when his sings it now."

"Harsh." Young Raph laughed. "Maybe ya don't deserve getting' anythin'." The young turtle held the gift away from his young human friend. "But seein' as I ain't Santa, I guess I can give ya dis." He brought the present back and held it out for the boy to take.

With a big smile on his face, Johnny took the present. He unwrapped it with care and his eyes looked like they lit up when he saw what was it was. "No way Raphie. This is, like, so cool. How did you know?" The young boy held up a baseball card in a plastic. "Forget knowing, how did you come across a Ken Griffy Jr. rookie card and in mint condition?"

A large smile grew onto young Raph's face. "Ya wouldn't believe me if I told ya." He told his human friend.

"Man…" Johnny cooed as he stared at the card. "I heard that people kill just to have one of these, mint condition or not."

"Darn." Young Raph snapped his fingers. "Ya found me out." His human friend looked at him with surprise. "I confess, I killed a guy just ta watch him die."

Johnny shook his head. "I can't believe a person like you watches 'Boy Meets World'." He groaned.

"Yeah, well, what can I say?" Young Raph replied. "When ya don't got the remote, ya don't get ta choose what ta watch."

Johnny started to laugh, but then a frown came onto his face. "Aw, now I feel bad." He said sadly. "I don't have anything to give you in return for this."

"Yer friendship is enough of gift for me." Young Raph replied.

"That is so sappy." Johnny commented. "But don't you worry, I'll get ya something that I know you'll like on Christmas Eve. I promise."

The smile on young Raph's face grew even bigger. "Thanks dude."

"But you never got that present." Christmas Past stated matter-of-factly. "Johnny went to visit his grandparents on the Eve and never came back."

"Yeah, I know." Raphael sighed. "His grandparents felt dat his parents weren't doin' a good job raisin'. At least, dat's what Johnny's other friends told me."

"Must have been hard." Christmas Past commented.

"Life was hard." Raphael retorted. "Ya just got ta know how ta roll with da punches."

"You blame your youngest brother?" Christmas Past asked.

"Of course I do." Raphael snapped. "I would have had a chance ta say goodbye ta Johnny before he left, it weren't fer da fact dat I was grounded. I was grounded, causes Mikey decided ta pick a fight with me and den went tattlin' ta Master Splinter when I started kickin' tail. Within da tattlin', da little squealer let slip dat I've been sneakin' up top ta see a human."

"Come on." Christmas Past said as he guided his ward back into the elevator. "I have more to show you."

"I just wished I had a chance ta say goodbye." Raphael sighed while he watched the door close. "He was my best friend, da only one I had."

"You still have your brothers." Christmas Past told the young turtle, while the elevator moved.

"No offenses ta them, but der are times when I wanna hang with people outside my family." Raphael replied.

"Understandable." Christmas Past said with a nod. "But if my memory serves correctly, Johnny wasn't your only friend. There was another."

Raphael swallowed hard as the elevator came to a stop and the doors open. He was relieved to see that it they were just back in the sewers. But they weren't in the lair. "No way." The young turtle breathed. "We're back in our old home." He hopped out of the elevator with the Don-like spirit following behind him and they have a look around the old lair.

Splinter sat in an armchair with a novel in his hand. Behind him, at a table in the kitchen, were four adolescent mutant turtles. Each one wore a different color bandanna, each one reading a book of their own and writing notes down on pads of paper in front of them. All was _suppose _to be quiet, except for the dripping of water from a pipe, but the young turtles couldn't help talking among themselves.

"It's five after four." A young Michelangelo whined quietly. "Master Splinter promised that today would be the day we'd go tree hunting. And then after that we're suppose to decorate the lair."

"Keep yer shell on Mikey." Young Raphael whispered harshly. "Christmas ain't goin' nowhere."

"But it's Christmas Eve." Young Michelangelo cried. "And besides, you know I get this way at this time every year." The young orange clad turtle began to bounce one of his legs anxiously. "It's so hard for me to focus."

"You're never focus Mikey." Young Donatello joshed. "How would now be any different from any other time?"

"Oh." Young Michelangelo groaned. "Now it's fifteen after four."

"Master Splinter isn't deaf." Young Leonardo stated. "He can hear you complaining and not working. So of course he's going to keep you waiting until you get back to work."

"Aw, Splinter can't expect _anyone_ to be able to work under these conditions." Young Michelangelo moaned.

"Just go back ta work." Young Raphael ordered.

"Alright." Young Michelangelo replied with his lower lip stuck out as far as it could go.

Not two seconds after everything went quiet and the sound of pen scratching paper started up again, did the sound of a book slamming shut rang throughout the lair. At first Leo, Don, and Raph thought it was Mike finally being fed up with waiting. They looked at their youngest brother with a glare, only to find out that he was still reading his book.

"The time for studying is done my sons." Master Splinter stated from out in the living room. "Pack up your learning supplies, put away your books, and get your snow clothes on. Wouldn't want anyone to have a cold this Eve."

"Woo-hoo!" Young Michelangelo cried as he let his book fly up into the air. "Alright, it's about time."

Young Donatello and Leonardo exchanged looks. They knew all along that Master Splinter was just messing with their youngest brother. Young Raphael had other things on his mind at the moment.

"You guys go on ahead without me." The youthful turtle told his family. "I don't feel like goin' out tanight. Maybe I'll start the decoratin' around here while yer all out."

"Are you sure, my son?" Master Splinter inquired.

"Yeah, I'm sure sensei." Raphael replied.

"You're not still moping about missing Johnny, are you?" Young Leonardo asked quietly; when Splinter was off supervise Don and Mike getting dressed.

"That was three years ago Leo." Young Raphael answered. "I've been over that. I just wanna hang around here for awhile."

"Whatever you say." Young Leonardo said while raising his hands above his head. "Just try not to break all the ornaments at once." He added jokingly.

"Har-de, har, har." Young Raphael replied. "Try not ta get a sliver up yer…"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence Raphael." Master Splinter warned. "Not unless you wish to have a lump of coal in your stocking."

"Consider da thought go from my head." Young Raphael answered.

"Not a word from you Michelangelo." Master Splinter said, when he saw the youngest turtle open his mouth. "Not less you want your brother on your case." Quickly Mike closed his mouth and zipped it shut.

Once Splinter and the three young turtles were dressed, they left the lair. Not more than five minutes after his family left, young Raphael pulled on some snow clothes and left the lair.

"Thought you didn't feel like going out." Christmas Past said while looking at Raph out of the corner of his eyes. Raph looked away from the Don-like spirit, so he couldn't meet eyes with him. "I wonder where he's going."

"I have a feelin' dat we're about ta find out." Raphael said as he walked back into the elevator.

"Oh, we won't be taking that." Christmas Past said.

"Den how will we get der?" Raphael questioned.

"Grab my robe and find out." Christmas Past told him.

Raphael raised an eyebrow while doing as he told. With a handful of robe, the young turtle felt himself go transparent and a sense of being lighter than air. Then the Don-like spirit whisked them both away before Raph could even blink an eye.

First the two turtles flew through a couple of brick walls before flying up through a cement sidewalk and land in front of a junior high schoolyard.

"Alright. I admit dat da whole elevator thing was cool and all, but now yer just showin' off." Raphael said to the Don-like spirit with a smirk.

"What's the use of having the powers if you not going to use them?" Christmas Past asked rhetorically.

Deciding that it was not worth making any kind of joke or comment, Raphael looked around the schoolyard. It was dark, except for the multicolor lights coming out of the window of a gymnasium that was in the back; just pass the classroom buildings. Like a moth is drawn to an electric bug zapper, the lights drew Raph. He reached the large building at the same time his younger self did and both crept up to a window to look inside.

The multicolor lights that consisted of red, white, gold, green, and blue hung from the tall ceiling. A long string of braided light green pine lined the walls. There were four pairs of double doors. Between those double doors hung a mistletoe and on every door was a reef of dark green holly leaves.

Long tables with a variety of food on them lined the walls of the large building. There were piles of mash potatoes with gravy, bowls of yams with little marshmallows, baskets overflowing with warm buttered biscuits, plates with vegetable decorations, and glass bowls full of warm fruit punch. The room was crowded with people moving from one item to the next, filling their plates high with the delicious food. Smaller tables littered the center of the gymnasium with many chairs for people to sit on

There was a school band up on a large stage in the front of the room was playing festive holiday music. But this was a strange band, because the only instruments they had were bells of every size imaginable. Bells went from being no bigger than a regular dinner bell to ones that were looked to be half the size of the person who rang them.

In fact, the person who rang the big bells was one who had grabbed both young and elder Raphael's attention. She was a slender young girl with fairly tanned skin, looked to be no older than twelve, and had lovely auburn hair that had bouncy curls. She wore a light blue dress with silver veil sleeves and had a shirt that went down to her knees. Upon her leg were white woolen stockings and feet in shiny black half-inch high dress shoes.

"For someone so slim, she has quite the upper body strength." Christmas Past commented.

"That's what was so great about her." Raphael sighed, as did his younger self. "She looked so meek, but she could hold her own quite well."

"Wipe your mouth, you're drooling." Christmas Past told the young turtle.

"Oops." With pink cheeks, Raphael did as he was told. "You know, Master Splinter told me sumpthin' once before I met dis girl."

"What was that?" Christmas Past asked.

"He said to me, 'My son…when happiness comes in, always give it a comfortable seat." Raphael answered.

"That is so true." Christmas Past agreed with a nod of his head. "Giving people a pleasure is such a small matter. He only gave a few moments of his time…a few hours at best. It is so much that he really deserves praise for it?"

"Hey now." Raphael turned to glare at the Don-like spirit. "Don't ya go talkin' about my sensei like dat. Ya don't know him. He had da power ta make us happy and unhappy. Ta make our studies heavy or light." Suddenly a small frown came onto the young turtle's face.

"What's the matter?" Christmas Past questioned.

"It's…nuthin'." Raphael replied solemnly. "I guess…thing were easier back den." He turned back to the window to watch the party going on inside the gymnasium.

"Who was the girl?" Christmas Past inquired.

"Her name was…Nisha." Raphael said the name with an awe-inspiring sigh. "She was a rebel, just like me. Guess dat how we clicked so well tagether."

"Did anyone in your family ever find out about this little crush of yours?" Christmas Past asked.

Raphael shook his head. "Ta tell ya da true, I dunno if I really had a crush on her."

Suddenly a door near them burst open. "Raphie-kun?" Nisha called out softly. "Are you here?" Her voice flowed like she was singing.

"Sure am." The young Raphael said as he back-flipped way from the window. "I won't miss yer concert fer all da money in da world."

"You say the nicest things." Nisha said with a girlish giggle.

"Got ya sumpthin." Young Raphael held up two fists in front of him. "Pick a hand."

"Um…ok." Nisha waved a finger from one fist to the other. "Uh…I pick…that one." She pointed to the young turtles right hand.

"Good guess." Young Raphael opened his hands up to show bracelet made of multicolor marble beads on an elastic string. "And for guessin' da right hand, ya get a second prize." He opened up his left hand to show a bracelet with rose-colored marble bead on an elastic string.

Nisha stared at the bracelets with wide eyes. "Oh Raphie-kun, they're beautiful."

"Nuthin' but da best fer my girl." Young Raphael replied while slipping the bracelet onto the young girl's hand.

Suddenly, as though there was some kind of cue, music drifted from gymnasium. Raphael gave the young girl a low bow and in return, Nisha curtsied. Then the two beings joined hands to dance while snow began to fall gentle down upon them. Everything around them faded into nothing and eventually so did they.

The Don-like spirit snapped his fingers to show the next scene. It was Raphael and Nisha, both two years older, walking down an icy path in Central part. The young girl was dressed in a maroon snow jumpsuit that had a hood with faux fur rim.

"Da years change people." Raphael said fearfully. "I don't wish ta look spirit." He tried to walk away.

But the Don-like spirit grabbed the back of the young turtle's shell. "You must." Christmas Past told him while turning Raph around for him to see the scene unfold.

"You dislike the world too much…Raphael." Nisha said to Raphael. "You're honorable…and noble…and…" She let out a frustrated sigh while having a seat on a nearby bench. "It just seems that there isn't any other passion that persuades you like finding fault with the world around."

"Ok, so maybe I look at the world in a different way." Raphael replied as he sat down next to her. "But my feelin's fer ya have not changed." He took her hand into both of his

"Our choice to go steady is an old one." Nisha said as she took her hand back. "You've changed. When you asked me, you were another person."

"I was a boy." Raphael retorted.

"You still are." Nisha pointed out. "How often I've thought about this, I will not say. But I thought about this and…" there was some hesitation in her voice, "…and I release you."

The present Raphael's face seemed to just screw up. "Don't say sumpthin' stupid. Don't say sumpthin' stupid." He chanted.

"Did I ask ta be release?" The young Raphael asked coldly.

Present Raphael smacked his face with hand. "D'oh!"

"In words…no, never." Nisha shook her head. "It is with your changed nature and everything in you that made me love you." She explained. "If things were different, if you met me now, would you have tried to win me?" The young Raphael gave no answer. "I thought so."

The present Raphael felt a sharp pain his heart, like a Sai was pierced into it. "Aw man."

"You think I won't?" The young Raphael questioned coolly.

"I know you won't." Nisha replied.

The young Raphael said nothing.

"Don't just sit der stupid. Don't let her do dis." Present Raphael yelled at his younger self. "Speak ta her. Say sumpthin'…not stupid." He turned to the Don-like spirit. "Why does he not speak ta her?" But the spirit gave no reply.

"If you just met me with the feelings you have about your morality, yourself, and humans, would you have ask me to go steady?" A grave look came over Nisha's face. "Or would you look upon me with the distaste you have developed for other humans."

The shock of her words and tone made the young Raphael feel like he was just slapped across the face. In fact he wished that Nish had hit him, because the smack would hurt a lot less than her words. As for the present Raphael, he felt the piercing of the Sai go even deeper into his heart.

"And if you put your angry and dislike to the side for but a moment to continue this relationship with me, I know you would live to regret it soon or later." Nisha told Raph. "And I don't want a relationship like that." The young girl got up from the bench and looked down at the young turtle. "So out of the love for the turtle you once were, I'm releasing you." She took Raph's hand, put the two marble beaded bracelets into it, and close the hand. "Goodbye, Raphie-kun." Then she turned to walk away.

"No…wait!" Present Raphael yelled at the back of the young girl. "Don't. He is still a boy, ya know he doesn't know anythin'." He turned back to yell at his younger self. "Well don't just sit there stupid! Go after her!"

The young Raphael jumped up from the bench. "Oh yeah? Well…who needs ya anyway!" He yelled after Nisha.

Suddenly, as if it were some kind of sign, the elastic string on the bracelets snapped and the colored beads fell upon snow when the young Raphael opened his hand. The young adolescent stared at the fallen beads for just a moment before kicking up a heap of snow upon them and walk away in the opposite direction from Nisha.

Present Raphael turned to the Don-like spirit. "No more! Show me no more!" He yelled. "Take me home, or do ya delight in tormentin' me like dis so much dat ya condemned yerself ta death by my hands?"

Christmas Past rolled his eyes before his head nodded, whisking them back to the present lair. Distraught, Raphael started to make his way away from the Don-like spirit. But he did not get far when he saw his shadow become long on the wall. He knew that Christmas Past was brightening up again, so that he could not be ignored.

"Haut me no more!" Raphael ordered as he turned around to face the spirit once more.

The Don-like spirit shook his head. "Do you not want to hear about how your human friend Casey died?" He asked.

"No!" Raphael cried as he ran at the spirit. "I will have nuthin' more ta do with ya." He snatched the candlesnuffer that hung by the side. "Just leave me!" With it in both hands, the young turtle pushed down upon Christmas Past till it finally touched the floor.

For a moment, the young turtle just held the snuffer to the floor. He huffed from the workout of shoving it down on the spirit. Suddenly the snuffer began to shake violently and Raphael jumped away from it with fright. The cone metal object continued to shake, causing the young turtle to become utterly petrified. Then with one last aggressive shake, the snuffer exploded and a super blinding bright light filled the lair before everything went dark for Raphael.

* * *

_A/N: (Whew) One spirit down and another two to go. This is the first deadline story I've ever done and I hope that will make the deadline._


	3. Christmas Present

_A/N: Just to clear up a few things. Yes, I exaggerated on Raph a bit in the first chapter and they're talking kind of England English cause that' s how the movie goes. I'm following it close and Turtlily possible. Besides, I kind like putting an English twist on them. It makes them kind like poetry now.

* * *

_

**Christmas Present**

Raphael woke up wrestling with the blanket on his bed. "What da shell?" The young turtle asked himself. He wasn't asking because he found himself back in bed, but that he had a bed. It was a king size, four posted, curtained bed with rings holding it on.

Where did it come from? How did it fit into his closet sized room? Course, once he moved the curtains to one side, he found out that his room wasn't quite so small. Somehow his room became so huge it was suffocating and it confused him. In all logical senses a small room should be the one that made him feel smothered, not a large one.

Not being able to take the fact that he couldn't breath any longer and because his room frightened him so much, Raphael left to escape.

"Oh, hello there." A giant voice said.

"Holy…" Raphael's legs buckled and he fell right on his rear. "I don't believe dis." He was a little un-nerved by the fact that two giant eyes were looking right at him.

"Sorry dude, didn't mean to scare ya." The eyes pulled back to show a large green turtle-face.

"Scare me…?" Raphael gulped. "Nah, ya didn't…scare me." He rolled onto his knees and crawled as close to the edge of the second level as he dared so that he could have a better look at the giant that sat before him.

It was giant child-like Michelangelo sitting in the center of the lair. He wore a silky dark green king's robe with a faux fur rim and a crown of holly on his head. Raphael figured that if the orange clad turtle was tall enough to look at him on the second level while sitting, he must be tall enough to touch the ceiling with his head if he stood up.

Once he got over the shock of seeing a giant version of his youngest brother, Raphael suddenly smell something, or rather some things, delicious coming from the level below. He looked down at the floor; of course one would actually have to find the floor in order to see it.

Food of ever shape, size, and desire surrounded the giant turtle. There were huge golden turkeys, large honey cooked hams, ribs that looked like they could drop off the bone, mountains of mash potatoes with gravy. There was food from every culture; Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican.

"Yo, ya want some?" The giant asked the bewildered turtle. "I got plenty." He held up a large slice of pepperoni pizza that was dipping of cheese and glistening oil.

"S…speak." Raphael managed to choke out. "Tell me who ya are."

"You know those who were before me." The spirit answered, before taking a bite of the pizza he held. "For you see, I have many older brothers." He continued between chews. "And perhaps you'll meet the one to come."

"Yer a spirit?" Raphael questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"But I am." The Mike-like spirit whined. "I'm the spirit of Christmas Present."

"Wait, Christmas Present?" Raphael said with surprise. "Den it must be Christmas Day."

"Exactly." Christmas Present said while finishing off the slice of pizza he was chewing on.

"Why do ya look so young?" Raphael asked.

"Because the day is just beginning." Christmas Present explained. "See, my life is as long as the day is. Thus of the day of being Christmas Present."

"Ya only live as long as da day?" Raphael questioned with surprise. "Dat's got ta be bad."

"Why do you say that?" Christmas Present asked while taking up a large silver cup that was next to him.

"Don't chya fear death comin' fer ya so soon?" Raphael asked back. "Don't chya worry about not being able ta live a full life."

"But I do live a full life." Christmas Present replied. "And I enjoy ever minute of it. When I pass on, I have no regret and I know that I will always remembered." With a groan, the young spirit stood up. "Now let's get going, I have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it."

Raphael stared in wonderment at the Mike-like spirit and was amazed that he didn't hit his head upon the ceiling. "How…how will we travel spirit? Surely yer too big ta fit through da front door.

"Size never matters to a spirit." Christmas Present replied. "I mean, nobody can really see me. But I suppose that I am pretty intimidating." With a deep sigh, the spirit shrank down to normal size. "Well, enough fooling around. I have rounds to make." He floated up to where Raph stood, still flabbergasted. "Touch my robe and we'll be on our way."

"Ok." Raphael reached out a shaky hand and laid it upon the spirit's shoulder.

Things became burry to the young turtle for a small moment. When all was clear, Raphael recognized the place to be Central Park. There were people rushing all about the park, going to or coming from some place.

A man rushed by with a large ham in arms. The Mike-like spirit, now looking the age of a teenager, reached into his silver cup and sprinkled water upon the ham. Next a bag woman, pushing a cart full of recyclables, went by. Seeing that she had no food, the spirit sprinkled water from his silver cup upon her head.

"Tell me spirit, what is dat ya doin'." Raphael inquired.

"I am spreading a Christmas blessing." Christmas Present explained. "No matter their status, ethnicity, or health, everyone gets a blessing."

"How about whether dey been bad or good?" Raphael asked.

"Everyone gets a blessing." Christmas Present stated firmly. "But come, I have some very special people who are desperate need of being blessed."

"Do I know dem?" Raphael inquired.

"Of course." Christmas Present replied and with a nod of his head, they were back in the lair.

All the food was gone, there was not trace of it being there. Instead, the lair floor was covered with shredded wrapping paper and gifts stewed all over the place. Wandering around with a large garbage bag, cleaning up the large mess, was Splinter. The Mike-like spirit, who aged enough to look like a young adult, walked up the rat master and sprinkled water upon him.

"What's sensei doin' down here all by himself?" Raphael asked the spirit. "Why isn't he up at April's with the others fer der party?"

"He's waiting for you." Christmas Present replied. "Do you not remember what usually happens between you and Splinter every Christmas?"

Raphael thought for a moment. "Dis is usually da time me and Splinter have our time tagether." He answered. "I help him clean up da lair after Mikey tears it up and we talk."

"Your master always cherished those talks." Christmas Present pointed out. "It was one of the few times you'd actually open up to anyone and he was glad it was always him."

"I never knew." Raphael said with slight shake of his head. Upon closer look, the young turtle realized something he didn't notice before. "Master Splinter looks…so…old. Why?"

"The years are catching up with him, I suppose." Christmas Present answered.

"Nah, it can't be dat." Raphael replied. "I always knew he was old, but he never looked it…until now."

"Then maybe it's your attitude." Christmas Present suggested. "The decline to spend as much time as you can with your family, your constant anger with the world, your fear of there being no future generations when you die. That is the part which you shut inside of yourself and it is that that is take quite a toll on him."

Raphael grabbed the Mike-like spirit's arm. "Tell me, what will happen ta my master?"

A grim glazed looked came over Christmas Present's face. "I see…a vacant armchair in front of some televisions. A walking stick without its owner, well preserved, sits upon it."

"Are ya tellin' me dat Splinter will die?" Raphael asked with shock and fear in his voice.

"What do you care?" Christmas Present asked coldly. "Better to die and do it quickly so as to decrease the surplus of the population."

"Ya mock me with my own words?" Raphael asked rhetorically. "When I said dat, I didn't mean…"

"What do it matter who or what you mean? The fact that you said it was bad enough." Christmas Present snapped. "But no to make such demands when you do now know what the surplus is. Low is the fat beetle the cries above his hungry brothers. It would better that you should died so that millions like him could live another day."

"Spirit you speak such cruelty ta me." Raphael said with shock.

"As I should." Christmas Present replied. "Because if things do not change, I do not see him living to see another Christmas."

Raphael fell to his knees. "No!" He cried.

The Mike-like spirit let the young turtle sit like that for a couple of minutes before reaching down to pick him up. "Come on. We have more people to see and bless." He pulled Raph to his feet and whisked him away.

Dusk was setting in when the two appeared on the fire escape of April's building. Raphael looked at the Mike-like spirit to see that he was even older. Middle-aged with many wrinkles upon his face. Knowing that the spirit would die when the day ended, the young turtle feared what would happen when that time came.

Noticing that Raph was looking at him, Christmas Present pointed towards the apartment window. "Don't worry about me. Look at why I brought you here." Obediently, the young turtle did as he was told.

April was sitting on her couch while Don and Leo sat cross-legged on the floor. Nobody was talking; everyone was just kind of staring at each other. The apartment was meagerly decorated. There was a small tabletop artificial Christmas tree in the corner, decorated with a few antique glass ornaments and strands of tinsel. A weak little mistletoe at the top of the door, above a withering reef of light green holy leaves. In another corner of the room was the box of decorations that Splinter had brought up the day before.

"Why didn't dey use da stuff sensei brought?" Raphael asked. "Why doesn't da apartment look more festive?"

"Maybe you aren't the only one to be feeling lousy about the holiday's." Christmas Present answered. "Maybe with your attitude about things has brought everyone else down."

"Can't be." Raphael said while waving a hand at the spirit. "Der is no way Mikey would let dat happen."

As though he knew that he was being talked about, Michelangelo bounce into the room with a plate full of decorated cookies. "Hey guys, cheer up." He ordered happily. "We all can't be like Raph on this day." He set the cookies down on the kitchen table, next to all the other food that was there. "Speaking of Raph, can you believe what he said about Christmas?"

"What did he say about it?" April asked as she got off the couch.

"What?" Michelangelo looked at her bewildered. "Didn't we tell you what he said?" The young woman shook her head. "He said that Christmas was a humbug." The orange clad turtle said with a laugh.

"He said that." April said with shock. "How Ebenezer Scrooge of him."

"That's what I said." Michelangelo told the young woman. "But Raph can call Christmas whatever he likes, it really doesn't matter. So long as he's my brother, I will always leave the door open for him to join us on this day whenever he likes."

"That's a very nice thing to say." April said with a smile.

"Raph's right, you do watch too many Christmas specials." Leonardo commented as he joined the two at the table.

"You know, it sometimes hard to believe how we're ever related to him." Donatello stated matter-of-factly. "Out of all of us, he's the only one who likes to dwell in the dark matter of things."

"I admit that he tends to put fear in your heart when he comes and a bad taste in your eyes when he leaves, but that's the way he is." Leonardo commented.

"Gee, I don't know what ta feel." Raphael said with a frump. "Sick ta my stomach or insulted."

"But you can't blame Raphael for feeling the way he does." Leonardo pointed out. "I mean, it seems that he had a bad luck running with the holidays. Take him missing Johnny when he left."

"Yeah…" Michelangelo put a hand behind his head. "I still feel kind of bad about that one. I don't know what I was thinking when I let that secret out."

"Then there was Nisha." Donatello pointed out.

"Who was Nisha?" April asked.

"His girlfriend." Michelangelo answered teasingly, then he made kissing sounds afterwards.

Raphael was shocked. "Dey knew about her?"

"The question really is, who in your family didn't know about her?" Christmas Present replied.

"You mean, even Master Splinter knew?" Raphael asked with shock.

"Yes." Christmas Present nodded. "But let us continue listening in"

"Well…losing Nisha was something he kind of did on his own." Leonardo countered. "But now we have to add Casey to the list. Out of all of us, Raph was the closest to him. They both acted the same, had the same likes, and could share the same feeling."

"It must be so hard for him." April commented.

"Tell me spirit, what happen ta Casey?" Raphael begged. "How bad was his death dat it made me fer get dat he was gone?"

"I can tell you as much of that which was before my time as I could of that that will be after it." Christmas Present answered.

"Why can't ya just give me a straight forward answer fer once?" Raphael snapped. "Why do all ya spirits talk in such riddles."

"You should have accepted the invitation to the party." Christmas Present told the young turtle.

"What?" Raphael questioned.

"For your master's sake." Christmas Present replied.

"I should." Raphael sighed.

Christmas Present dipped his hand into his silver cup and threw water at the window. The water went through the glass and landed on the people in the apartment. "Come, my time is growing short and I still have a few things to show you."

Out of nowhere, a carol 'Noel' came to Raphael's ears as he and the Mike-like spirit flew away from the fire escape. With the spirit guiding them, they went all over the world. While they flew, Christmas Present poured the crystal clear water from his silver cup onto the people below them. He took special care to linger over those who were locked in prison, stuck in shelters, and away from those they loved to fight for what they believed in.

"Why do ya lag over those people?" Raphael asked curiously.

"Because they are the ones who needs the blessing most." Christmas Present replied while he landed them back in Central Park.

"Spirit! Yer so old now!" Raphael exclaimed when he looked the Mike-like spirit over.

It was true. Christmas Present's face had many wrings, his skin was withered like a green prune, and his eyes dropped from becoming so tired. "The day is nearly done, as is my time." He wheezed.

At first the thought of the Mike-like spirit dying made Raphael feel sad, but then he saw something. "Spirit I see sumpthin' strange beneath yer robe that does not look like it belongs ta ya. Is dat a foot or is it a…claw?"

Christmas Present opened his robe up to show two starved, sunken eyed, filthy children. They hissed as they made a jump at the young turtle. The Mike-like spirit put a hand on each child's shoulder to keep them by his side. "The girl is Want and the boy is 'Ignorance'." He told the young turtle. "Beware of them both, but most of all beware of the boy. For written upon his forehead is doom for all. If nothing is erased, if you flounder with those that surround him, if you acknowledge him and do nothing about it, then doom will engulf you all."

"Is der nuthin' dat can be done fer dem?" Raphael asked apprehensively. "Is der not charities? Is der welfare?"

"Is there no prisons?" Christmas Present grasped cruelly. "Is there no shelters?"

Before Raphael could answer the spirit, a bell tolled. This caught the young turtle off-guard, because he did not know of any clock towers in New York. He looked around to find out where the bong sounds were coming from. When he couldn't find the source of the noise, he turned back to the Mike-like spirit. But the spirit and the children were no longer there.

"Spirit?" Raphael cried. "Spirit where are ya?" He started to run up alleys and down streets. "Spirit, please come back." The young turtle looked in every direction. "Do not leave me out here alone." But no answer came to the distraught turtle. "If Christmas is over, den what is left to show me?" Raph asked as he looked up at the sky. "Who is da last spirit?"

In reply to the young turtle's question, an icy cold hand that smelt like death landed on the on his shoulder and griped it tightly.

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_A/N2: And thus we end Christmas. We know who the last spirit is to come, but who will play him and what will he have to show? Can Raph truly change things for the better or will he be driven even deeper into despair?_


	4. Christmas Future

**Christmas Future**

Raphael took in deep breaths and let them out slowly; transparent clouds came out of his mouth with each puff. He gulped while turning his head to look at the hand that was on his shoulder. Two thin sheets of metal coming to razor shape points came from the hand. The fingers of the hand rapped on his shoulder and the young turtle could hear the rubbing of leather as each finger moved.

Raphael knocked it of and jumped from the person that stood behind him. "Speak, who are ya?" He took up a defensive pose.

There stood a tall being wearing a long black hooded cloak. His hand was still out, as though there was a shoulder still under it. The hood casts a black shadow over whoever's face was underneath it. All that could be seeing from inside were two brightly light yellow eyes. Those eyes started in to the young turtle as though the being was looking straight into his soul.

Raphael dropped his arms to his sides, because he felt an icy breeze go down his spine. It was like someone had just stepped on his grave. "Why don't ya speak?" The young turtle asked anxiously.

The being said nothing, but removed his cloak to reveal who he truly was.

"Shedder." Raphael hissed. The young turtle started to take up his defensive pose when he saw his most hated enemy before him, but something within him told him to stop. "Wait, could ya be da spirit of Christmas yet ta come?" He questioned wearily.

The Shredder-like spirit nodded.

"But I thought all ya spirits were suppose ta take da shape or form most comfortin' ta me." Raphael pointed out. "Unless ya took dat form because yer gonna show me da shadow of things dat have not happen, but will happen when time comes."

The Shredder-like spirit nodded again.

Raphal gulped deeply. "I fear ya more den any of da other spirits I saw tanight. Will ya not speak and bring me some comfort?"

Christmas Future said nothing as he turned his back to the young turtle. He pointed his bladed hand in the direction that they were to go in.

"Lead on den spirit, lead on." Raphael told the Christmas Future. "Show me what I need ta see. Da night is wanin' and it is precious time fer me."

The Shredder-like spirit nodded and grabbed the young turtle so as to whisk him away from the streets. Within minutes the two beings landed at hideout of the Purple Dragons.

"Why bring me here spirit?" Raphael questioned.

In reply, Christmas Future pointed to a group of punks huddled around a burning trashcan. Raph walked over to the group to listen in on what they were saying.

"Did you hear what happen to that vigilantly with the hockey mask?" One asked, he had a tat of a purple dragon on his cheek.

"Der talkin' about Casey." Raphael gasped as he looked at the Shredder-like spirit.

Christmas Future shook his head and pointed back to the group.

Another asked back. "Nah, what happen to him?" He had a tat on the back of his hand.

"I don't know, all I know is he died last night." The first one answered. "Apparently he took on more then he could chew."

"Oh, what to we care?" A female Purple Dragon snapped. "He's dead."

"To tell you the truth, I thought he'd never die." The first Dragon said.

"It'll be a lonely funeral, that's all I have to say." A blonde Purple Dragon commented. "I can't think of anyone who would want to go to it?"

"Think we should volunteer to go?" A black haired Purple Dragon joshed.

"Not unless they're going to feed me." A red haired Purple Dragon chuckled. "I won't go anywhere unless there is free food."

"Well I'm not for dwelling on the past or wearing black bands." The one with a Dragon on his cheek stated. "But if you thinking of making a party out of it…"

"Let's just say that we're thinking about it." The one with the Dragon on his hand answered.

Everyone in the group scrunched their faces up at the idea at it, but nodded in agreement that it might be a possibility as they walked away.

Raphael stood stun. He couldn't believe that anyone could act that cold about some who was dead. But when the young turtle started to chase after one of them, Christmas Future grabbed his shoulder with one hand and pointed in a direction with the other.

In a flash, the red clad turtle found himself at a dreary pawned shop. A man with salt and pepper hair, sitting behind a bulletproof glass, was fumbling through his latest wares when the bell to his door rang three times as three people came into his shop.

"What is this?" The pawnshop owner asked cautiously. "A bag lady, a child, and a punk?"

"We all met up by accident." The punk answered.

"That's right." The bag lady said in agreement. "It's not a conspiracy."

"If I thought it was a conspiracy, you be out like a shot." The pawnshop owner replied while lifting the end of a rifle up to show he meant business. "As it is, you're welcome." He put the gun butt back down under the counter.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they surrounded the counter. "How goes the day Max?" The punk asked.

"There is no bones older than mine, George." Max answered. "I suppose we're all suit to our ways. I guess you can consider me a rag-and-bones man by trade and a rag-and-bone by nature."

Everyone placed things upon the pawnshop owner's counter. George, the punk, looked down at what the old bag lady had.

"What are you looking at?" The bag lady questioned angrily. "Everyone has a right to take care of themselves. I'm sure he always did."

"No argument there Mary." George replied.

"If he wanted to keep it when he was dead, wick freaky thing, why didn't he act more sweet when he was alive?" Mary asked.

"If he had been, then he would have someone watching his back." The child answered. "Instead of laying in some alley, dying, gasping his last breath. Alone there, with nobody to care."

Raphael was shocked beyond all belief at how _these_ people were talking. But curiosity made him wonder what they were even doing in a pawnshop anyway.

"Open my bundle first Max and speak plainly." Mary ordered. "I'm not afraid to go first. After all, we knew what we were getting into. That's how we all met."

"It's no sin." George added.

"Only if we get caught." The child pointed out.

"No chance of that ever happenin'." Mary smirked. "It looked like nobody ever cared what happen to him then or now. Open my sack Max."

"Me first." The child demanded. "It's the smallest."

"The smallest?" Max exclaimed. "There is only one item." He picked up a hockey mask. "Hm…meager pickings. I'll give you five dollars for it."

"I'll take it." The child said giddily.

"Me next Max." George said.

"Hm…" Max picked up a golf bag full of sport items. "A hockey stick, some golf clubs, and two baseball bat that are signed. Jose Canseco…" He scrunched his nose up at the bat. "…and Mark McGwire." Max tried not to look to amuse with the second bat. "Let's see now." He brought out a calculator and started pushing buttons while muttering. After a few minutes he came out with a total. "I'll give you fifteen bucks and fifty cents for the lot."

"Fifteen bucks and a half?" George questioned with shock.

"I always give my heart out to teens who are trying to work their way through medical school." Max said with an unsympathetic tone. "Question me further and I'll knock off five bucks."

"Fine, I'll take it." George grunted.

"Undo my bundle now Max." Mary said smugly. "You won't be disappointed."

"What are we doin' here spirit?" Raphael asked Christmas Future. "Why am I ta watch a bunch of greedy people pawnin' Casey's stuff?" The Shredder-like spirit said nothing and pointed back to the people before them. Heaving a sigh, Raphael looked back.

"What in the world are these?" Max asked as held up two shiny, silvery objects with three prongs on each.

"You know what they are Max." Mary replied. "You've sold and bought enough of them."

"Don't tell me that you pried these out of his cold dead hands." Max said with amazement.

"I did." Mary stated proudly. "And why not?"

"You were born to make a fortune." Max answered with a smile.

"I don't hold my hand back when I know I can get something by reaching out." Mary told the man.

"Is that his bandanna?" George asked skeptically.

"It most certainly is." Mary retorted. "It's not likely any identity is going to be revealed now that he's dead."

Raphael looked at the bag lady with disgust before looking back over at the child.

"I hope he didn't have anything catching." The child commented.

"No fear in that." Mary replied. "I wouldn't have stayed around him when he got into that fight if I knew he had something bad about him." Max pulled something out of the bag. "Looked at those pads and belt. Best leather you can find around." Mary told him. "They took a beaten and still look like new." Max ran his fingers over the pads and belts. "They would have been wasted if it weren't for me."

"What do you mean by that?" The child asked.

"They were going to let him be bury like that, the fools." Mary laughed. "But I soon took it off him when nobody was lookin'."

"You snuck into the funeral home?" The child asked in astonishment.

"A funeral home!" Mary exclaimed. "Don't make me laugh. There is no way that a body like that was going to be allowed anywhere near there or for burial with the general population."

Everyone started cackling hysterically and Raphael felt his head start to spin. He started to lean back against the wall to support himself, but found that he was leaning against a post instead. The young turtle turned around to see a bed with a white sheet covering something. A full body shiver ran all over him as he looked at the lumps under the sheet.

Christmas Future stood at the head of the bed, staring at Raphael. The young turtle felt those yellow eyes burrow into him again. Then the spirit pointed to the body that was in the bed.

"I understand what ya want me ta do spirit." Raphael told Christmas Future. He took a deep breath to build up courage to grab the sheet and move it. But as his shaking hand moved toward the white silken cloth, the young turtle found that he could not do as he was told to. "I'd do it if I could, but I've not da power spirit." He said in cracked voice while pulling his hand back. "I've not da power."

The Shredder-like spirit pulled his hand back and looked at the young turtle curiously.

"Is der no one dat feels emotion at dis person's death?" Raphael asked. "So me some tenderness dat could be connected with death."

Christmas Future pointed for them to go somewhere and in a minute they were in the lair.

Donatello was sitting at his computer, staring at the screen. A pencil was wobbling loosely between his teeth while he lightly poked at the mouse. Michelangelo was laying down on the couch in front of the many televisions, but none were turned on.

Raphael could not understand why the lair looked so…dreary. If this was the Eve, where was the tree and decorations? Where were the presents wrapped in colorful paper?

"How long do you think Leo will be gone this time?" The orange clad turtle asked solemnly.

Donatello sighed in an 'I don't know' kind of way.

"Master Splinter always liked the park, didn't he?"

"Hmm-huh."

"Think he's happy now that he going to be there…forever?"

This time no reply came from Donatello.

Michelangelo rolled off the couch and sundered over to his purple clad brother. Without asking permission, he draped himself upon his brother's shoulders. "I miss him."

Donatello made no move to knock his youngest brother off or scold him. He just reached a hand up behind him and patted the orange clad on the head.

The doors to the lair open up and a tired looking Leonardo wandered in. "Master Splinter would have liked today." He stated in a forced cheerfulness. "The sun was just peaking through the clouds and the newly fallen snow looked like a silver walkway."

"Did you visit…_his_ grave site?" Michelangelo asked coldly.

"Yes." Leonardo answered with a nod. "You still angry with him."

"I don't think I'll ever not be angry with him." Michelangelo replied. "As far as I'm concerned, it's his fault that Master Splinter is dead."

That's when it all sank in for Raphael. Suddenly he realized that they were talking about his master, sensei, father, being dead. He turned to the Shredder-like spirit. "Say it ain't so." The young turtle begged. "Please tell me dat Master Splinter ain't dead."

Christmas Future said nothing, but wandered in through the double sliding doors that led to the rat master's room. Raphael followed after the Shredder-like spirit into the room. There, laying on a futon bed, was the young turtles' beloved master. He looked so peaceful, like he was sleeping, but he also looked so old. His gray fur was pure white, as white as the sheet that was wrapped around his body with tender care.

Leonardo wandered into the room and took Splinter's hand into his. "I visited your resting place today." He told his master. "It's peaceful and quiet, just what you always wanted." The young turtle in blue inhaled deeply, fighting back tears that were welling up in his eyes. "Master, why did you let him get to you like he did?" Leo asked with a cracked voice. "You know he was always like this, but why suddenly let it get to you?" He started to gasp for air a little as he continued to fight back the sobs that were building up in his throat. "Now he's dead too…and I couldn't…protect him."

Raphael stood shocked. He wondered whom Leo was talking about. Who couldn't his elder brother protect? Who died?

"Two deaths on our head." Leonardo cried. "Two deaths that have driven us to change. Donnie rarely talks anymore, I'm afraid he might stop talking like he did when he was little. And Mikey…has become angry, just like Raph. I'm worried that he will be like Raph one day." The young turtle sniffled deep as a few tears escaped his eyes. "What should I do if he does? What if he runs out and does something as equal stupid and I can't be there to protect him either? His death alone will kill Donnie off for sure and then…I'll be alone." Leo grasped his sensei's kimono. "What should I do now to keep our family together master?" Suddenly the blue clad turtle buried his face deep into his rat father's chest to cry, as he must have done many times before.

Raphael suddenly felt his cheek become wet with tears of his own at the sight of his eldest brother crying uncontrollably upon his master's chest.

Outside the room, the door to the alien elevator opened to reveal April. In her arms she carried bags of take-out food. "Hi guys." The young woman said with a forced smile. "Brought you something to eat." She took the food over to the table that was in the television area and put them down.

"Thank Ape." Michelangelo said, making no move to get off his brother's shoulders.

"What are you guys working on?" The red head asked.

"Nothing." Michelangelo replied. "Just sorta staring at nothing."

"Is Leo back yet?" April inquired.

"Yeah, he's in the sensei's bedroom." Michelangelo answered. "Talking to him. I guess it makes him feel better."

"I'm really sorry about what has happened to you guys." April said in a sympathetic tone. "I wish there was something I could do to help you guys out."

Leonardo came out of his master's room. "Coming down here to visit with us is good enough." His eyes were perfectly dry; one would not have known that he was crying.

"You know, if you want, you are always welcome to come up and stay with me for as long as you like." April offered. "In fact, you can move into the basement apartment I have."

"Thanks for the offer April, but living above ground isn't right for us." Leonardo told the red head.

"Well the offer is still out for whenever you guys want to take it." April replied.

Raphael watched with watery eyes as everyone gathered around the food. They all took very little and ate even less than what they took.

Christmas Future put a hand onto the young turtle's shoulder and motions with his head that they should move on. Raphael nodded sadly as he followed the spirit out of the lair.

Suddenly the young turtle found himself wandering round a glooming graveyard. There was fog at least a foot from the ground, making it hard for him to see where he was stepping.

Knowing that he wasn't truly alone, Raphael called out. "Spirit, answer me one question. Are these the shadows of things dat will be or da shadow of things dat maybe only?"

Christmas Future said nothing, but pointed to a grave maker that was next him. It was not made of stone like all the other markers, but made of wood. A name was poorly scratched into it.

"People's actions determine certain ends, so long as dey persist dem." Raphael said to the Shredder-like spirit. "But if der actions change, der ends change too."

Christmas Future continued to point his bladed hand at the grave marker.

"Say it so with what ya showed me." Raphael said in a demanding tone.

Still the Shredder-like spirit pointed to the grave marker.

With deep breaths, Raphael managed to build up the courage to look. Written upon the plank of wood was his name. He looked back at Christmas Future with a mixture of fright and shock.

"Am I…da person layin' upon dat bed?" Raphael asked in grasps.

The shiny yellow eyes of the spirit pierced into him once more.

"Oh no spirit." Raphael told Christmas Future while shaking his head vigorously and waving a finger. "Spirit, no, no." He started to back away. "Spirit hear me, I'm not da person I once was. Why show me dis if I'm passed all hope." The young turtle let out a smug laugh before falling to his knees. "Spirit have pity on me." He begged.

Christmas Future's eyes just stared at him.

"I'll know Christmas in my heart and keep it all da year." Raphael cried. "Da three spirits of Christmas will thrive in me. I will not shut out da lesson dat dey teach." He started to sob. "Oh let me wash away the writtin' on dis plank!"

Suddenly the eyes that were piercing into the young turtle extinguished and the Shredder-like spirit fell back into nothing, but a pile of dust.

Raphael jumped to his feet with fright. "No spirit, don't leave me alone!" He cried as the ground began to tremble.

The young turtle turned to look at his grave marker. It bounced about in the ground before it fell back as the dirt beneath his feet began to spread apart. The dirt continued to move apart until a hole was formed and Raph looked in to see himself in an open box. His pads, his bandanna, his belt were missing. His pale green skin was covered in cuts and bruises.

As he stared at his dead body in disbelief, the ground beneath his feet broke away. The young turtle fell into his own grave and on top of his withering body of death. While looking upon his beaten face with shock, the grave shook until a great hole formed underneath both him and his dead body.

Raphael clutched his stone-like body to him as he fell and screamed with fright to ears that could not hear him.

* * *

_A/N: You all thought I was going to use Leo as Christmas Future, I know from the reviews. But felt like he wasn't fitted for such a role as the Shredder was._

_So, do you think that Raph will come out ok? Do you think he has learned his lesson or was it already too late for him?_


	5. Aftermath

_A/N: No the turtles didn't stuff Splinter and no they weren't going to keep him around to decompose in the lair. (Rolls her eyes)_

_Also, this part will not be anywhere close to the book or the movie, because this is TMNT.

* * *

_

**Aftermath**

With eyes still shut tight, Raphael practically bolted right off the couch where he was laying on. His blanket was twisted all around his body and he let out a scream so loud, it startled everyone in the room.

Donatello, who was asleep on the back of the couch, rolled off. "Whoa!"

Leonardo accidentally shot himself out of the recliner he was in. "Yikes!"

Michelangelo jumped straight out of his beach chair. "I didn't do it!"

Master Splinter almost ensnared himself in his blanket as he tried to leave his chair.

"Help me Spirit!" Raphael cried. "I don't want ta die."

"My son." Master Splinter called in a calming voice. "My son, you are alright." The elder rat tenderly grasped the panicked turtle's face with both his hands. "Wake up." He lightly rubbed his thumbs on the cheeks.

Raphael's eyelids twitched. "Master, is dat you?" He asked uneasily, afraid to open his eyes. "Yer alive and well?"

"Yes my son." Master Splinter answered. "I am fine and quite alive."

Raphael breathed a deep sigh of relief as he opened one eye slowly. "W…what day is it?"

Donatello used the back of the couch to pull himself up off the floor. "Christmas Day." He replied while leaning on the backside of the couch.

"Christmas Day?" Raphael started snicker as he closed his open eye. "Dey did it all in one night." The snickering turned into feverish laughter. "But of course dey did, der spirits and spirits can do anythin'."

At first the other turtles looked at Raph with confusion, but soon it turned into wonderment as to what he was talking about.

Master Splinter was the first to speak. "Easy Raphael." He said in a soothing voice. "You've had a rough night last night."

"You were really sick from food poisoning." Leonardo added as he came over to the couch. "That dip you were eating had been bad for about a couple days." He had a seat on the edge of the coffee table.

"You were all hot and sweaty when we came home." Michelangelo said as he came over to where all his family was. "You should thank Casey." He commented while sitting on the armrest of the couch. "If it weren't for him, we would have found you on the floor really into the night."

"Wait a minute." Raphael slowly opened one eye again. "Did ya say Casey?" He peeked at his orange clad brother with that open eye.

"I did." Michelangelo answered with a confused look on his face.

"So he's not been dead fer a year?" Raphael asked embarrassingly. "He's not dead at all?" He opened the other eye.

"Of course not." Leonardo answered in a shocked tone. "Why would you ask such thing?"

"I…I don't remember much of last night." Raphael answered meekly. "At least not after I went ta bed. What was Casey doin' here?"

"He came to get you." Donatello answered.

"Yeah, see, Casey showed up at April's after Master Splinter came with the decorations he promised to bring." Michelangelo explained. "He wondered where you were and we told him what a stick in the mud you were being about Christmas."

Donatello butted in. "So Casey being Casey, decided that he was going to make you come help decorate." This earned a glare from his youngest brother for cutting him from telling the story. "And we figure that since there was no way to talk him out of not bugging you, we asked that he pick up the party trays we had brought so they could be store at April's."

"Unfortunately, Casey got into a bit of a tangle." Leonardo eyed his youngest brother. "Seems someone thought is would be a good idea to chain our mini fridge shut and seal the lock with glue."

"It wasn't a joke." Michelangelo snapped. "I wanted to make sure that nobody was going to eat all that food."

"You mean, you?" Donatello questioned with a smirk, cause him to receive a raspberry from the orange clad turtle.

"Well Casey managed to get the chain off and wrapped around him." Leonardo went on with the story. "While trying to get the chain off him, he knocked into the large fridge and a sack of flour fell on him. Figuring it would be easier to have you help him out, he went up stair to get you."

"When he got there, he said you shot right past him to look for something." Michelangelo jumped in. "And when he got your attention, you passed out. After getting you down to the couch and making you comfortable as possible, Casey gave us a call. Told us that you were super hot, all sweaty, and babbling some kind of nonsense."

"Said you were asking how he died." Donatello piped in.

"Well, I remember comin' out to figure out what was all da racket was." Raphael replied. "When I saw Case and asked why he was makin' noise, he said he was dead."

"That must have been when you became delirious from your fever." Master Splinter told Raph.

"And that wasn't the first time." Donatello added. "At one in the morning, your fever not yet broken, you were up and about looking for something."

Raphael pointed at his purple clad brother. "You were a spirit, all dressed in white."

"It was cold last night. I had a white blanket wrapped around me when I brought you back to the couch." Donatello gave his brother a curious look. "But what do you mean I was a spirit?"

Raphael bit his lower lip; he felt a little embarrassed. "I guess…I had a…sort of a…Christmas Carol dream." He finally admitted.

"Really?" Michelangelo pushed his formally sick brother over so he could get comfy on the couch.

Raphael nodded his head slowly. "Except it was a little different. Donnie was Christmas Past. He showed me all da stuff dat happen ta me in past Christmases. Why I think dis time of year is so bad." The young turtle looked at Splinter. "I should have told ya about Johnny and dat we were friends. Den maybe I coulda seen him off before he left." He looked around at everyone else. "And I should told ya all about Nisha."

"Yes you should have." Leonardo scolded. "We would have loved to meet her." A soft expression came onto his face. "And we could have really been there when you lost her."

"Which was totally my fault." Raphael stated. "I drove her away with my constant negativity."

"So who was Christmas Present?" Michelangelo inquired excitedly.

"You were." Raphael answered with a small chuckle. "You were so big, you practically filled up da whole lair. And ya had all dis food around ya."

"He still had food around him?" Donatello questioned with a chuckle. "I mean, we are talking about Mikey here. I would think that it would be all gone by the time you saw him"

"Ha ha." Michelangelo laughed dryly while shooting Don a dirty look. "You think you're so funny." He turned back to Raph. "So what did I, I mean, Christmas Present showed ya?"

"He showed me how bad Christmas was goin' be dis year if I didn't get my act tagether." Raphael turned to his rat master. "Sensei suddenly you looked so old. Ya were so old from being so sad I wasn't der ta open up ta ya dat year like I've done every year. And I just wanna tell ya dat I appreciate yer spendin' time with just me on dis day."

A grin grew onto the elder rat's face. "I'm glad that you enjoy our time." Master Splinter said. "But know that we can make time whenever you want or need."

Raphael nodded happily before continuing on. "And den der was Christmas Future."

"Who was he?" Michelangelo gasped.

"Da Shredder." Raphael told his youngest brother in a spooky voice. "He showed me dat if I didn't clean up my act, Master Splinter would die. I died not soon after, but didn't know I was dead. And when Splinter passed, Mikey got all hotheaded angry while Donnie became all quiet. Leo worried dat he would be alone, cause Mikey would go get himself killed and Donnie would die from a broken heart."

"Whoa…" Michelangelo breathed. "I couldn't imagine that ever happening."

Raphael shook he head. "Yeah, it was all really intense." He looked at everyone that was around him. "So you guys camped out here with me all night?"

"Sure." Leonardo answered cheerfully.

"We wanted to make sure your fever broke." Donatello added.

"And dis being Christmas Day, Mikey ain't rippin' inta his presents yet?" Raphael questioned as he looked at his youngest brother with admiration.

"The presents can wait." Michelangelo told his brother. "After all their just objects compared to family." Then the young turtle looked over at all the gifts in shiny paper. "Course, one can only wait so long before it becomes tortuous."

"He's got a point." Donatello admitted. "I still kinda find it hard to resist the impulse to tear into my stocking."

"Go ahead my sons." Master Splinter said as smiled with amusement. "This is the time of year where it is alright to act half your age."

Michelangelo was the first to bolt for their Christmas tress. "Thank you Sensei." He said along the way. "I get to play Santa this year."

"Just don't make us wait for you to open all your gifts before giving us ours." Leonardo scolded as he and Don joined the youngest turtle.

Raphael worked his way out of the blanket that was around him. Instead of heading over to the tree, he head for his room.

"Where are you going?" Master Splinter inquired while he watched his other three sons.

"I have things I have ta do." Raphael answered. "Don't worry, I'll be back in time fer our time."

Master Splinter gave a nod of approval. "Alright my son."

Up in his room, Raphael ran his fingertips over one of his walls until he got to one spot. A grin grew onto his face as he pulled a few bricks away to reveal a hidden compartment. In side the hole was a shoebox and inside the shoebox was money he was saving for…well…stuff. Actually the young turtle couldn't remember what he was saving the money for, but for some reason he didn't care. After getting dressed into his human clothes and pocketed the money, Raph snuck out of the lair without anyone noticing.

Topside, Raphael went to a mall that was open for those few procrastinating shoppers. He went from toy stores, to clothing stores, to grocery stores. By the time he was done, the young turtle was hauling a rather large sack on his back.

His first stop was at the charity booth over at the Dickens Fair. The two men he ran into the day before were still there trying to get in some last minute contribution. When they saw him coming, they turned their nose up at him.

"Look, guys." Raphael puffed; he was little winded from what he carried. "I'm sorry fer da way I was yesterday. I wasn't quite myself." The young turtle set the bag down on the snowy ground and dug around his pocket. "I know it ain't much, but here." He handed over a bunch of bills with change. "And dat's not all." Raph reached into his large sack to pull out a bunch of smaller ones. "I've got clothes and toys and food ta give too. Is dat alright?"

The man in the tall hat practically dropped his moneybox. "Of…of course." He stammered.

"I told you that m'lord was a generous man." The man in the bolder hat said as he opened each sack so that he could jot down what was in them. "Many people will find good use for all that you have given."

"I hope so." Raphael said as he heaved the sack onto his back. "I don't suppose the name Santa is being used by anyone else, is it?"

"I'm afraid so." The man in the tall hat answered. "A lot of people are leaving stuff in his name."

"Perhaps m'lord would like to use Father Christmas?" The man in the bolder hat suggested. "After all, this is an English event."

"Father Christmas…I like it." Raphael chuckled. "Well, I have a few other rounds ta make." He gave a wave as he walked way.

"If I didn't know better, I do believe someone is pulling a Christmas Carol." The man in the tall hat commented.

"Don't matter any to me governor." The man in the bolder hat replied. "So as long as the poor is benefiting in the long run."

"Aye. I'll agree with you on that."

Feeling quite content with himself, Raphael made his way over to an elementary school. The young turtle had recognized the logos on the sweatshirts of the children he scared off the day before. When he got there, he felt both ashamed and admiration mix with in him.

There in the schoolyard were all these children helping the adults load up trucks full of donated stuff. These children, who had to be at least half his age, were giving up their present-opening time to come help those less fortunate. There wasn't a compliant from anyone, in fact they were singing carols joyously while working.

Feeling like an absolute heel, Raphael made his way into the yard. Instantly the children recognized him as the 'bad scary man' and dove behind their parents for protection. The young turtle felt so warm with embarrassment, he was sure the snow under his feet would melt. "Um…do ya got any room fer dis bag here?" Raphael asked meekly as he offered the sack that was on his back to the glaring adults before him.

One man stepped forward to take the sack, eyeing the young turtle carefully. He opened it up to inspect what given. Then with a nod approve, he softened his look. "I sure we can pack it in somewhere."

Raphael was giving a breath of relief when he felt his pant leg being tugged on. He looked down to see the little girl that talked to him before. "I knew you weren't such a bad man." The little girl said to him. "You must have had a bad day, right?"

"Yeah, dat's right." Raphael gave the young girl a pat on her head. "And I also needed a kick in da head to get my act on straight."

"We're going to make a lot of people happy, aren't we?" The little girl asked.

"You guys sure are." Raphael answered. "Oh yeah." He reached into his coat for his inside pocket. "I bumped inta old St. Nick and told him about all da hard work ya and yer friends were doin' fer others." The young turtle brought out a little sack. "He said dat he want ya ta have these."

The little girl took the bag that was offered to her and opened it up. "Oh wow." She gasped with her eyes wide open. "Golden bandage that say, 'S…San…ta's H…Help...ers."

All the children gathered around her to get a bandage. With the help of their parents, each child wore them with swelled up pride. A woman walked up to Raph. "Say stranger, we have some hot chocolate and cookies. You're welcome to have some."

"Thanks." Raphael put a hand up. "But I have an important appointment I got ta keep with my father." After giving a hearty wave, the red clad turtle made his way home.

**Later that day…**

Everyone was up in April's apartment, which was highly decorated. Different color lights circled the ceiling, reefs made of fresh holly leaves hung in the windows, and the table was decorated with all kinds of food. In a corner was a large, newly cut, pine tree with the decorations Splinter had brought.

There was a golden tinsel boa wrapped around it, bubble lights in every color litter all over, glass antique ornaments hung in different places, and a beautiful rainbow star topped the tree.

Due to Michelangelo's constant persisting, Raphael was talked into retell his dream in full detail. Nobody made a sound while he told it and they hung on is every word with near halting breath.

When the young turtle was done, there was a knocking on the door in the rhyme of 'Shave and Hair Cut'.

Leonardo jumped his feet. "I'll get it." He said as he quickly ran over to the door and opened it a crack. "About time you got here." The blue clad turtle scolded in a harsh whisper.

"Hey, don't get mad at me." Another harsh whisper snapped back. "Blame the traffic. It was practically murder getting here."

"Hey Leo, who's at the door?" April inquired.

"Anyone remember that famous line from 'The Shinning'?" Leonardo asked before stepping to the side. "No takers? Alright, I guess I'll have to do it." He opened the door wide. "Heeeerrrrreeesss Johnny!"

A teenage boy stood in the doorway with shoulder length black hair. He was dressed in a large red hooded sweatshirt and bellbottom black jeans. "What up people?" Johnny said in a cheerful near holler.

"Johnny!" Raphael roared as he ran over to his friend.

"You're going to break my spine." Johnny groaned when Raph yanked him into a bear hug.

"Sorry dude." Raphael chuckled when he let go. "Look at ya." He stated as he held his friend at arms length. "Ya look almost normal."

"Well Raphie my man, I have my girl to thank for the fashion change." Johnny told the red clad turtle. "If it weren't for her, I don't think I would have ever got away from my grandparent house." He leaned out the doorway. "Yo, Nishie, what goin' on with ya?"

"Will you relax?" A voice hollered from the stairs. "I'm coming."

Raphael's eyes opened wide with shock. "Nishie?" He gulped hard as he watched a young teenage girl with bounce auburn hair come jogging up the stairs wearing a blue jumpsuit. "Nisha…"

"Raphie-kun." Nisha gasped when she saw the red clad turtle. "It's so good to see you." The young girl ran over to the stun turtle and gave him a squeeze around the neck. "How are you?" She asked when she pulled away.

"You…and Johnny…are…tagether?" Raphael stammered.

"Uh…" A nervous look came onto Nisha's face.

"Er…" Beads of sweat started to come down Johnny's face.

Raphael turned to look at his eldest brother with a small glare

Leonardo put his hands up in defense. "I…I didn't know. I swear." He said in a panicked tone. "I bumped into Johnny on the street and thought you would be happy to see him. I didn't know that he was hooked up with her."

Raphael's clutched his fists. "So I'm findin' out dat my best friend and ex-girlfriend are tagether? Like dis?" He turned his back to everyone. For moment there was a tense and awkward silence. All breathing was practically held, because nobody wanted to dare make a sound.

But the silence was soon interrupted by Raphael's hearty laughter. "I couldn't think of a finer man ta have da best girl den Johnny." The young turtle said as he turned back around with a large grin on his face. "And I couldn't think of a finer girl fer my best friend den Nisha." He put a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm happy fer da both of ya and dat's da turth."

Everyone in the room breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Well I'm starvin'." Raphael stated as he clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "What say we get ta eattin'."

"Hear, hear!" Michelangelo cheered as he charged for the table.

After dinner, everyone gathered into the living room with mugs of hot chocolate. The major lights were turned off so that the lights from the tree, the ceiling, and a few choice scented candles were the only lights.

As he watched everyone talk, Raphael felt water rain down upon his head and slide down his body. The young turtle looked around for any leaks in the ceiling, but found none. When he looked back at everything before him, it all sudden fell into place. The lights, the laughter from family and friends, the warm feeling of love that engulfed his body; this was what Christmas, and Hanukah, and Kwanzaa meant to those out there that celebrated them.

And while Raphael came to this realization, an urge within him to do something grew until he couldn't resist it no longer. Without feeling nervous or ashamed, the red clad turtle rose to his feet, closed his eyes, and began to sing 'Do You Hear What I Hear?'

Everyone in the room to looked at Raph. Their eyes betrayed their wonderment as to what could possibly have gotten their hotheaded brother/son/friend to sing without any coaxing. But soon nobody cared, because they were amazed by the voice that was coming out of the young turtle. Raph sounded like a seasoned baritone instead of his usual frog-throat self. His voice was crystal clear, words well pronounced, tone in perfect pitch. He was mystically and magically incredible. All who were listening to him grew goose bumps and had shivers go throughout their body as they too felt invisible water shower down upon them.

"Dude." Michelangelo breathed when his brother was done. "I didn't know you could sing like that."

Raphael's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Neither did I." He gave a small chuckle.

"What ever made you want sing?" Leonardo questioned.

"I dunno." Raphael replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "One minute I'm just sittin' der watchin' everyone and da next I felt suddenly blessed. It was weird, yet kinda cool."

"You know something, I kinda felt something too." Donatello commented.

"Yeah, so did I." Leonardo shook his head in agreement with his purple clad brother.

"Same here." Michelangelo stated cheerfully.

"I believe that everyone in this room must have felt something." April pointed out.

"A visit, no doubt, from a kind spirit making his rounds." Master Splinter remarked in his usual tone of wisdom.

Raphael raised his mug up into the air. "Ta da Holidays! May dey always bring comfort and joy to all!"

"To the Holidays!" Everyone cheered as they joined their mug in the air with his. "Bless it be to those who seek it and welcome it!"

* * *

_A/N2: And that is the end of my story. As you knew in the beginning of the story, this was all going to be a dream. So using that as a loop-hole, I didn't have to tell you how Casey died. :p_

_Anyway, I hope you liked my story and I thank you all for your reviews._

_To whatever you celebrate, may it be a good one with family and friends._


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